A symbol of justice.
When those words came from Zephyr's mouth, their weight spoke for itself.
What kind of person could become a symbol of justice?
There was no need to say it outright—at the very least, an Admiral. Perhaps even…
"Fleet Admiral?"
At least, at this moment, Smoker felt both solemn and conflicted.
"In Instructor Zephyr's eyes, does Roy really have talent on that level?"
He exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at his friend with mixed emotions.
Then he saw Roy wiggling his eyebrows at him.
'Bro, didn't you train under Admiral Zephyr before? What does he mean by "true essence"? Is it crazy strong or what?'
What irritated Smoker most was that, after years of being around Roy, he could actually understand exactly what those eyebrow wiggles meant.
"…"
So he clamped his cigar between his teeth and couldn't say a word for a long time.
This guy is going to become Fleet Admiral someday?
Then the Marines' finished. This whole sea is finished.
As Smoker grumbled inwardly, he also felt puzzled.
After all, he really had trained under Zephyr in hand-to-hand combat—more precisely, countless people in the Marines had trained under Zephyr.
He believed he'd done quite well himself, making rapid progress in physical techniques.
Yet he had never once heard Zephyr or any senior mention anything about a so-called "true essence."
"What a stingy bastard—won't even share something like that?"
At this moment, Roy, having failed to get a useful answer from Smoker, silently added another mark against him in his mental ledger.
Then he turned to look at Zephyr.
Under the suddenly widened eyes of Smoker and Binz, he spoke softly:
"Sorry, Admiral Zephyr—I don't want to leave the Detention Unit."
Becoming Zephyr's disciple and learning his true martial arts was, without question, an extremely tempting offer.
But just as unquestionably, to Roy, Devil Fruit abilities were everything.
Learning physical techniques would be great, of course—he also longed to grow stronger.
But if it meant giving up the Detention Unit's unique advantages—its "safety," "stability," and its "channels for acquiring Devil Fruits"—
Then Roy would never accept it.
"Why!?"
At this moment, Binz was also unable to accept it.
As one of Zephyr's closest current disciples, he had some understanding of Zephyr's "true essence."
And he knew that Zephyr had been searching for a suitable successor for a very long time.
"Lieutenant Commander Roy, you should think this through before answering—"
But just as Binz was about to speak, Zephyr gently raised a hand to stop him.
Then the former Admiral looked at Roy—he, too, wanted to know the reason for Roy's refusal.
"If you're worried whether Vice Admiral Biros will agree, I'll speak to him personally."
"If you're reluctant to part with your current subordinates and companions, I can have them transferred here as well."
"If you want a higher position, I will recommend you to Sengoku in the future. With your talent and ability, you are certain to become an admiral within twenty years."
He spoke in a deep voice, almost having thought through every possible reason on Roy's behalf.
But clearly—
"It's not because of any of those reasons, Admiral Zephyr."
Roy shook his head.
Of course, he knew he couldn't possibly say things like 'I need Devil Fruit abilities, so the Detention Unit is my home' or 'Can you arrange for me to train at Impel Down?' at a time like this.
So after a moment of thought, he began his performance in a righteous tone.
"I'm not leaving—for the sake of the Detention Unit itself!"
He looked straight at Zephyr.
"The status of the Detention Unit within the Marines is something you should be well aware of, and the internal atmosphere of the unit is indeed relatively lax."
"But I believe that after criminals are captured, escorting them back to face the judgment of justice is the most crucial step."
His voice rang out firm and resolute:
"Only judgment under fairness and the law can truly allow justice to be made manifest."
As he continued, Roy found himself speaking more and more smoothly.
"So I want to remain in the Detention Unit, and sooner or later I will rise to a managerial position within it, using my own methods to change its current state—this is far more valuable than simply capturing criminals, or than my own personal power and status!"
When his words fell, the scene instantly went silent.
Binz looked at Roy in disbelief, and with a hint of respect.
He hadn't expected Roy to harbor such ambitions.
He had just witnessed Roy's strength, yet someone like him was willing to stay in a low-status department with slow promotion prospects for the sake of reforming the Detention Unit.
For a moment, Binz felt that his earlier attitude toward Roy had been somewhat presumptuous.
"…"
Smoker, too, felt shaken, though at the same time he found it oddly incongruous.
Mostly because whenever he thought of Roy casually gulping down cola, it was hard to reconcile those everyday actions with the words he had just spoken.
But the most affected of all was Zephyr.
At this moment, the former Marines Admiral's expression visibly shifted.
Because Roy's words had struck directly at his heart.
Zephyr's life had certainly been grand and legendary—but it could also be called tragic.
His wife and children were killed by pirates.
His students were killed by pirates.
Even his arm was severed by pirates.
Yet throughout his countless battles, Zephyr had never personally killed even a single pirate.
Because of this, aside from "Black Arm," he bore another epithet: "Zephyr the Non-Killer."
The reason he did not kill was not because he did not hate pirates.
Rather, just as Roy had said—
Zephyr firmly believed that evil must be judged by the law in order for true justice to be upheld.
To kill pirates with overwhelming force was merely violence suppressing violence.
And so, Roy's words had undoubtedly pierced his heart.
Roy's declaration—that he was willing to give up power and status to ensure evil faced proper judgment—moved him deeply.
"Biros, that old bastard, really struck gold this time."
Zephyr thought to himself.
Then he looked at Roy, whose eyes were filled with "conviction."
"Good lad. I underestimated you."
He let out a sigh, yet made a firm decision in his heart.
"In that case, I'll change my mind."
"You may remain in the Detention Unit. I won't force you to join under my command."
"In the future, I can also recommend you to Sengoku as a candidate to manage the Detention Unit—how does that sound to you?"
He spoke in a deep, steady voice.
For a moment, even Roy was genuinely surprised.
Just how eager was this old man for him, to be this accommodating?
But after only a brief moment of astonishment, Roy regained his composure.
"If that's the case, then I'm willing to become your disciple."
Since you've already gone this far, what more is there to say?
If it's becoming a disciple, then becoming a disciple it is.